Movie theater is a venue, usually a building, that contains an auditorium for viewing movies (films) for entertainment. Most, but not all, movie theaters are commercial operations catering to the general public, who attend by purchasing a ticket.The movie is projected with a movie projector onto a large projection screen at the front of the auditorium while the dialogue, sounds and music are played through a number of wall-mounted speakers.

Traditionally a movie theater, like a stage theater, consists of a single auditorium with rows of comfortable padded seats, as well as a foyer area containing a box office for buying tickets, a counter and/or self-service facilities for buying snacks and drinks in the movie theater lobby, film posters, arcade games, movie schedules, theater entrances, entrance halls, entrance signs, and washrooms.